Police hunt killers of Lords Chosen Pastor

Homicide detectives attached to the Lagos State Police Command have started hunting for unknown gunmen who attacked and killed one of the pastors of the Lords Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries Ijesha, Lagos.

The clergy, identified as Chukwuemeka Akpokpo was said to have been shot severally on Monday by two men riding a motorbike who ensured he was stoned cold dead before riding away.

Eye witnesses said that Akpokpo was shot around Apple junction, Amuwo Odofin, closed to Diamond bank where he had just stepped out with N3million.

The hoodlums snatched the parcel money from his cold hands and disappeared.

Some of the church members alleged that the attack was not random. Many said that Akpokpo told many members he was heading to the bank. Some of the members further alleged that his death might be connected with crisis rocking the church.

One of them said: “Believe me, this robbery was the work of an insider. Yes! A member of this church is behind it! We believe that he was trailed to the bank. They waited for him outside the bank.”
Another church member, named said: “Our pastor may have been assassinated by those who are eyeing his position. He was the Lagos State Coordinator and was in charge of building. I am sure he was killed by some envious people who want to take over his seat.  Many saw him as being too favoured by the General overseer of the Church, Pastor Lazarus Mouka.”

Mathew said that many doubted that the clergy had been killed until they saw his corpse. The corpse was brought to the Church and members embarked on prayers, hoping he would be resurrected. They prayed for nine hours without the pastor resurrecting.

Mathew urged the police to treat the matter a case of assassination, instead of robbery.

A Police source said: "We are not going to conclude that it was an armed robbery attack. We may not rule out assassination but on the other hand it may be robbery attack and he may have recorgnised one of his attackers. We have to expand our findings."